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tem·pest

(tĕmpĭst)

1. A violent windstorm, frequently accompanied by rain, snow, or hail.

2. Furious agitation, commotion, or tumult; an uproar: "The tempest in my mind / Doth from my senses take all feeling" (Shakespeare).

tr.v. tem·pest·ed, tem·pest·ing, tem·pests

To cause a tempest around or in.

Idiom:

tempest in a teacup/teapot

A great disturbance or uproar over a matter of little or no importance.

[Middle English, from Old French tempeste, from Vulgar Latin *tempesta, variant of Latin tempestās, from tempus, time.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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